Cheng Shi Chai Ge Jie Ji Tang程氏柴葛解肌汤
Cheng's Bupleurum and Pueraria Decoction to Release the Muscle Layer
Ingredients9 herbs
Indications
Wind-heat that has left the surface for the muscle layer with interior heat established: the absence of aversion to cold, together with thirst, marks the shift inward.
Clinical Manifestations
- Fever without chills, with thirst
- Cold that has moved inward with a dry mouth and eyes
- Fever in a patient of dry, thin constitution
- Headache with body heat and irritability
Health Categories
Modern Applications
Common adjustments
- Interior heat blazing with high fever — add Shi Gao 石膏
- Cough with sticky phlegm — increase Zhe Bei Mu 浙贝母 and add Gua Lou 瓜蒌
- Chills still present with body ache — the pattern still has an exterior component — the Ming version with Qiang Huo and Bai Zhi is the better fit
Contraindications
Not for a wind-cold pattern with clear chills and no thirst — it is too cool and too rich. Because it contains Sheng Di Huang and Mu Dan Pi it also sits poorly with a weak, damp digestion and loose stools.
For licensed practitioners’ reference only — not a self-treatment guide.
Pregnancy
Use with caution in pregnancy and only under supervision. There is no Ma Huang here, but Mu Dan Pi moves blood and the bitter-cold herbs can be hard on a pregnant patient's digestion; a practitioner should adjust it rather than use it as written.
Related Formulas
References
Source Yi Xue Xin Wu 《医学心悟》 · Qing
- Classical source as given in the source fields (pre-1900, public domain).
2. Scheid, Bensky, Ellis & Barolet. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Formulas & Strategies, 2nd ed. — composition & dosage cross-checked.
3. 《方剂学》（全国中医药行业高等教育规划教材）— 附方 note under 柴葛解肌汤, pattern analysis cross-checked.
Professional reference notice. Entries are scholarly references for licensed TCM practitioners and students — not medical advice, and not a recommendation to self-prescribe. Chinese herbal formulas should be used under the guidance of a qualified practitioner. Content is an original editorial compilation by Cura x Cura, cross-checked against the cited references.